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Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan has opened up on how he handles seemingly persistent trade rumors. The ace has been down this road before. After the team struggled throughout the 2025 season, Ryan was previously linked with a move away from Minnesota. Despite being highly coveted, the ace ultimately remained with the Twins.

The timing of last year’s trade deadline day was particularly nerve-racking for Ryan. The starting pitcher was scheduled to pitch for the Twins the day after the deadline was over. During a recent appearance on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast, the star discussed the previous situation and whether he is better prepared to handle trade rumors now.

“In the moment, I was like, ‘this is a lot to handle’ [because] I was throwing the day after [the trade deadline],” began Ryan. “So that was kind of like, ‘oh sh-t, all right, we got to go, and everyone’s gone.’ I think in a way it was kind of a good thing, right? I got to go out there and just pitch, and had to go pitch, right?”

Ryan ended up making the best of the precarious situation. He gave up just two earned runs in six innings against the Cleveland Guardians at the time. While the ace did not pick up the win, the Twins collected the victory in extra innings.

Minnesota Twins Would Receive Massive Return for Joe Ryan

GettyJoe Ryan has been one of the American League’s best starting pitchers in 2026.

Ryan continued the conversation by claiming that he is just focusing on what he can control. “I think you look back and just remind yourself… that the distractions are away from the actual game,” continued Ryan.

“This is what I’ve always dreamed of doing, playing in the big leagues. This is an honor, so I’m not going to feel down or bad for myself. If anything, I’m here to play baseball, and I get to put on a big league uniform. I’m grateful for that every day that I get to do that. And I want to be the best version of myself… What am I going to do, think about trades and things that I have zero control over? That’s just wasted headspace.”

Although he made it through the 2025 trade deadline, Ryan could very well be switching teams soon. The Minnesota Twins remain under .500 and may look to offload the ace, and potentially others, to look towards the future. Assuming he is on the trade block, only Tarik Skubal and Freddy Peralta would perhaps be more in demand than Ryan.

Ryan’s Current Contract Helps Minnesota’s Position

Ryan’s situation, however, is a bit different than these two superstar pitchers. Unlike Skubal and Peralta, Ryan is under team control through the 2027 season. As a result, the Minnesota Twins would likely receive a substantial haul of prospects if they made their ace available. If Minnesota continues to struggle, an offer could be too good to pass up.

So far, several clubs have been linked with a potential move for Ryan. This lengthy list includes the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs. Sports Illustrated’s Ryan Shea recently linked Ryan to the Braves in a deal involving multiple prospects. The Cubs, on the other hand, were recently named as a top landing spot for the ace due to their ongoing injury crisis.